Did you know that nature journaling in Germany is blowing up? One of the main people involved in this massive growth of German nature journaling is Verena Hillgärtner. Verena is the creative behind Wieder Wilder Werden which aims to bring nature journaling and rewilding to Berlin and beyond. I recently had the chance to talk to Verena. You can watch the interview below or continue reading.
What is Nature Journaling Like in Germany?
First, I asked Verena to describe what a recent nature journaling outing is like for her, and to share some recent pages. The Nature Journal Show audience likes to see some visuals of course and hear stories of nature journaling trips. Currently, it is around -7 centigrade in Berlin so Verena described her outings as “Short and cold adventures.” Winter is almost over but the limitations of daylight and temperature have a big impact on nature journaling in this European country. I would soon learn about more challenges. However, as we all know, challenges and limitations can be fertile for creativity.
I will briefly summarize a recent trip she described. First, jump out of public transportation into the cold weather. Second, try to quickly capture some wintry trees at a park in ink and watercolor. Thirdly, capture the colors of sunrise. Finally, reflect on how nature journaling can help you witness the return of Spring. I forgot to mention the part about shaking off the snow and getting back on public transportation.
The Nature Journaling Germany Community
As usual, I am curious about international nature journaling communities. I try to interview nature journalers from as many countries as possible. For example, did you see the other show I did about German Language nature journaling? It has been two years since that conversation with Isabella and I wanted an update. Based on all the stuff I see on Instagram it seems like nature journaling was really blowing up in Germany. Here is some of what Verena shared.
- Urban sketching is more popular that nature journaling.
- Many people are doing it but don’t call it “nature journaling” yet.
- Berlin has a big enough population that it is possible to find other people who use the term “nature journaling”.
- There are monthly in-person nature journaling meetups in Berlin. Nature Journal Club Berlin.
- Because there are few “nature areas” in Berlin it is easy to run into other people who are nature journalers.
- During winter meetups are often inside because of the dark and cold.
In addition to these in-person examples of the nature journaling community there are also online connections. In my previous interview with Isabella I learned about the German Language Nature Journal group on Facebook with 514 members called Das Natur(skizzen)buch. Isabella explained to me that German is spoken in a variety of countries, for example she lives in Austria, and that Facebook group reflects that common language. There is also a group now called Nature Journaling Germany with 140 members (go join now!) Interestingly, these two groups did not know about each other at first! This is one of the challenges about nature journaling in other languages that Verena mentions in the conversation.
How do you say “nature journaling” in German?
The reason that the two Facebook groups did not find each other right away is because it was lost in translation. What is the best way to translate the concept? Here are some possible translations I found online.
- Das Natur(skizzen)buch (this is the name being used by one of the FB groups)
- Skizzenbuch means Sketchbook
- Naturtagebuchführen
- Naturtagebuchschreiben. This refers to the practice of documenting observations and experiences in nature through written notes, sketches, and other forms of art. The term “Naturtagebuch” combines “Natur”, meaning “nature”, with “Tagebuch”, meaning “journal”.
Should they just use the term from English because that is what everybody is Googling? Verena also pointed out the importance of the verb. In English we have been able to turn journaling into a verb and this does not work as well in many other languages. This situation came up for me and my colleagues in our attempts to grow nature journaling in Spanish also.
Why is it important to nature journal in your mother tongue?
This is a question that I have brought up in several conference breakout groups. I have spent a lot of time thinking about it for myself but also wanted to hear Verena’s ideas. She pointed out that it is one barrier less. We are using nature journaling to connect to nature. Language is already a barrier for that. So using a language that we are less used to just adds another barrier. However, not knowing a word can also be beneficial. She pointed out that sometimes not knowing the name of something forces you to focus on your observations more.
Access is the other major issue. The younger generation in Germany often speaks English quite well but this is not the case with the older generations. These people currently have less access to and awareness of nature journaling because of the language barrier. This is why Verena is working on a book about nature journaling in German.
If you want to see more about nature journaling in different languages check out this conversation with nature journaler Maria Ermilova Terada who nature journals in English, Russian, and Japanese.
The Future is Bright for German Nature Journaling
It seems like Germany is likely to become one of the top nature journaling countries in the near future. The growth of the community online and in-person and the work of people like Verena in Berlin and Isabella in Austria is having an effect! Despite the long winter and the degree of urbanization in many places the German Nature Journaling community appears to be growing steadily!
But what if I’m completely new to nature journaling?
Regardless of your experience, we got you right here. Below are links to some super resources for beginner nature journalers.
